Ineos Nova loses production at French, Dutch polystyrene plants on high water levels

19-Jan-11

Ineos Nova has lost 500-1,000 tons of polystyrene production at its 190,000 tpa plant at Wingles, northern France, due to high water levels seen last week, as per Platts. The company has to slow production due to inability to load as much styrene into the plant due to a combination of heavy rain and warmer temperatures which have melted heavy snow from the Arctic. The company receives its styrene via barges into the Wingles site. Production at its 90,000 tpa expandable polystyrene plant at Breda in the Netherlands has also been affected for the same reasons but this was not seen as a problem due to the current poor state of demand for EPS. Production rates at the EPS site were probably at around 40-50%, which meant that the supply issues were mitigated. Last week, traffic at the key Rhine transit point resumed as water levels fell below the minimum navigable level of 6.50 meters in Koblenz. The Rhine was closed again to traffic in Germany because of a capsized barge early Thursday. The issues have effected the movements of various petrochemicals. Even when waterways are navigable, high water levels mean that normal quantities of freight cannot be loaded onto vessels and therefore act as a restriction of supply.